Performance Measurement System in Julphar Company Term Paper

Performance Measurement System in Julphar Company - Term Paper Example RAK Ceramics is a company based in United Arab Emirates (UAE). The company was established in 1989 by Abdallah Massaad. The Company has been able to establish itself as the world’s largest ceramic manufacturing companies in a span of 20 years. The factory is however situated in the Arabian dessert. The products that RAK Ceramics has been offering consist of tableware, porcelain tiles, sanitary ware, bath ware, fittings, adhesive and faucets (Attwood â€Å"Racking up Miles for Tiles†). The Company operates in several countries of Asia as well as Middle-East such as, Bangladesh, Iran, India, Sudan, China, etc. In this study the performance of this company would be measured and analysed with respect to its customer satisfaction ability, improvement activities, internal process, employee satisfaction, competition handling, and innovation (â€Å"Company Profile†). Problem Statement It not necessary that every research study is developed to discuss problems and challen ges. Sometimes even they are even designed to evaluate and analyse situation, such as performance of a company. As in this case, the performance management system of the ceramic manufacturing company, RAK Ceramic would be analysed through statistical tools. ... Internal Process The internal process of RAKCeramics is mainly based on its technology integrated business model. The strength lies in the speed of improvement that the company manages and supplies the product to the market as soon as customers demand. The company owns 10 factories, which is well equipped with the most modern machineries. 8000 bath wares are manufactures every day in three plants in the similar location. Production and distribution is well-managed through IT based supply chain (â€Å"Corporate Profile†). Innovation RAK Ceramics’ core competency is offering innovative products and unique designs to its customers using technology. The strategy of the company is to innovate and introduce new designs for the customers is a strategy for improving performance. They are also utilising scan coding system for allowing customers to utilise their smart phones for scanning the QR code in the advertisement and directly visit the website of the company. They are also developing a mobile tool called iDesign, where customers can design their incorporate their own designs for customisation (Hankir â€Å"RAK Ceramics CEO Sees No Slowdown in U.A.E; Plans India IPO to Build Plant†). Improvement activities The demand for RAK Ceramics is continuously rising, so the company is looking forward to improve their manufacturing capacity by augmenting its power infrastructure. Several new power plants is planned to be launched in emirates in order to utilise sustainable sources of energy to respect the environmental concerns and maintain efficiency. The requirement for more power capacity was also identified in summers by the company

Latin America ( Physical system ) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Latin America ( Physical system ) - Essay Example 269). Recently, the president of Ecuador (Correa) has been in defense of the oil extractions plans in the Amazon (Laht.com, 2014). According to the president, the plans to carry out the oil extraction will have minimal impact to the people and the environment. The government of Ecuador plans to extract oil from Yasuni National Park located in the amazon forest. This forest contains a high level of biodiversity and acts as an ecosystem to thousands of organisms. Altering the ecosystem in favor of the economy will lead to deforestation and climate change. Cutting down of the trees in order to obtain oil will mean reduced carbon absorption. Moreover, this region offers habitat to a different organism, and it is a source of water for human beings. Once the operations begin, the mentioned advantages will be affected negatively. The extraction of oil has several effects on the country. On the positive side, it is going to improve the country’s economy by increasing GDP and providing employment. On the negative side, this event will destroy the habitat and will contribute a lot to global warming due to the emission of industrial waste into the environment. This move by the president sparked several concerns of displeasure. Environmental organizations were concerned on how this move to destroy acres of land in search for oil. However, this move by the president will have numerous political effects in the country. For instance, there have been rising concerns about the president’s leadership, whether he is fit to rule the country (Smith, 2014). People wonder if he has their interest at heart. The president managed to garner political support through the parliament to facilitate his pursuit. The bill was passed in support of the new project. Non-governmental institutions are infuriated by this act. As a result, they embarked on a campaign to oppose the bill. The country is set to experience a political divide. On one hand, some advocate for oil

Case Study Of Yellow Auto Company Commerce Essay

Case Study Of Yellow Auto Company Commerce Essay As one of the most well-known car company, Yellow Auto Company was built in 1989 and occupied 54 marketing share in 2008. Why can it develop so fast and increase their share great in less than 20 years? This paper aims to conduct the case study of Yellow Auto Automotive Company, from the perspective of psychology digging the decision making issues in this company. First, a brief introduction of the company is given to let readers know the basic information of Yellow Auto. Then the relevant decision making issues are analyzed combining the theory of psychology in making decision. At last, suggestions on how to maintain long and short comings of Yellow Auto are given and how to improve their decision making in the future is also discussed. introduction of the Company Yellow Auto Automotive Company was built by two brothers, Can and Caner Sale in 1989. As a family company, its shareholders are acted by the owners and the assets came from the two brothers family. Yellow Auto owns two stores in Gaziemir and Cambidi respectively and acts as one of the most well-known car company over the worldwide. Yellow Auto aims at selling famous brands cars in different areas, such as Coca-Cola. They have two options of car market, first of which are high market demand models and second are those cars with special features according to customers needs. Yellow Auto followed the development step and changes of the parent company. All the employees are required to adapt to the developing steps of technologies. The top manager put eyes on three important departments: finance, sales and after-sales services. The sales of Yellow Auto were supervised by a manager and they put a lot of attention on the face-to-face communication to attract customers. In their recruitment, Yellow Auto prefers active and highly-educated young people. Employees are required to ask every detail and not encouraged to make decisions by themselves. Many rules in the company management are unwritten but stored in hearts of the family members. Yellow Auto always cares about the level of customer satisfaction. They figured out several ways to increase customer satisfaction. They made great effort to attract future young customers, and offered sufficient communication with existing customers, such as telephone conversations and sending text message. Analysis on the Relevant Decision Making Issues in the Case 3.1 Relevant Decision Making Issues What kind of issues in the case Since 2001, top managers of Yellow Auto made a risk decision under the background of a serious economic crisis in Turkey. In the whole changing process, top managers made a lot of analysis on the psychology of employees. They even asked external consultants from a university in Turkey for help to assist the policy change process well operated. Therefore, this report is going to conduct the case study of Yellow Auto from the perspective of psychology. What decisions made /how the decisions implemented by the company Yellow Auto used to make several decisions in the whole changing process as the following. First, top managers of Yellow Auto made the important decision, that is, to achieve a goal of having 50% of the market share in the field. It is a high risky decision due to the economic crisis. In order to promise the smooth going of this decision, Yellow Auto decided to ask help from academics in university. Under the guidance of the external consultants, change efforts are put on increasing physical working conditions, distinguishing tasks for managers and employees, designing careers plans for young generations, and right person for the right job principle. Next the implementation of these decisions by the company will be analyzed from the perspective of psychology theory. According to the transactional analysis by Berne (1961), the human psyche consists of three ego states: parent, adult and child. Yellow Auto Company acts as the adult state. They owns strong objective and always are able to evaluate and critique. When implementing the decisions, top managers evaluate the results in time, face the actual effect of the changing process and make enough adjustment to make sure correct changing direction Whats the result After two years changing process under the suggestion from academics, the job satisfaction and organization loyalty of employees in Yellow Auto are enhanced greatly. The following increased profitability of the company is 25% more than the profitability result of 2001. Yellow Auto also extends their sales and added two stores around lzmir. In the future, the owners of Yellow Auto would maintain the good results and continue the investing in human resources. Through the cooperation with a university in lzmir, human resources of Yellow Auto will have a bright future and bring more good results. Evaluations on the Issues and Decisions How important are these issues and possible influences of these issues People are often sort of reluctant in making decisions. Analyzing the psychology of decision making for managers in company is so important that the decisions by owners and top managers would determine where the company is going to. If top managers made the wrong decision, not only huge crisis will be brought to the future of company, but also the morale of employees and loyalty to the company may be affected greatly. There are several psychological approaches for the analysis of decision making, such as psychoanalytic, behaviourist, humanist, neurobiological and cognitive (Lecture 7). In this report, the psychoanalytic approach will be applied on analysing psychology of decision making. Next, the changing strategy of Yellow Auto will be looked into from the psychology of the decision maker. According to Lauent and Kapferer (1985), there are four factors influencing individuals decision making: sense of oneself, perceived risk, social factors and hedonistic factors. These factors are not only suitable for the consumers, but also fitful for decider (Berne, 1964). On the consumer level, if people are willing to buy products from Yellow Auto, they must seek a feeling of satisfaction. All human beings own the potential of hedonistic factors. Good services and products can help consumers obtain superiority and good sense for themselves. Although perceived risk may exist in their mind, face-to-face communication by staff in the company will assist vanishing the risky feeling, such as employees in Yellow Auto. They are required to contact with consumers by phone calls and message, that gives consumers a family feeling and trust the company increasingly. As top managers, the y must be familiar with the psychology of consumers for better management and marketing future. On the other hand, from the perspective of managers in Yellow Auto, they are also decision makers. They made important decision for the company development. Sense of self is crucial for the top managers and shareholders. Based on their experience in the car market, they may be able to sense sensitively where the big fish is. However, 50% of the marketing share is such a huge risk based on the background of economy crisis. A smart manager should be able to put a lot of attention on the perceived risk and conduct some action, such as top managers of Yellow Auto. They asked help from academics in a local university, that is, they used social factors which can be reached to guarantee their company changing process. Those external consultants were professionally good at analysing psychology of employees and provided managers good suggestions to increase the satisfaction and commitment of employees. From the excellent results of Yellow Auto, that is, they had 54% marketing share in 2008, p sychology of employees and managers play crucial rules in the marketing strategy. Strength and weakness of the decisions made in the case Pisharodi and Langley (1990) used to propose a Perceptual Process Model, assisting the analysis on perpetual process in the decision making. That model consists of three parts: selective attention and emotional maker response, perceptual organization and interpretation, and the attitude and behavior. The Perceptual Process Model is going to be used to analyze the strength and weakness of decisions made in this case. First, under environmental stimuli, selective attention and emotional maker response are made (Pisharodi and Langley, 1990). That depends on a lot of factors, such as characteristics of the perceiver, assumptions and anticipation of future events. One strong strength point of Yellow Auto is that their top manager did well in this step. They perceived the right marketing trend and anticipate a bright and feasible goal for the company. Next step is the perceptual organizaiton and interpretation. An important part is the mental process in it. Here the perceivers or managers should do the categorical thinking and perceptual grouping to make sure the feasibility of the assumption and anticipation. Top managers in Yellow Auto did the perceptual organazation and interpretation so that they obtained the results, that is, they cooperated with academics to guarentee the smooth going of the change. It is indeed one strong point in this case. However, each coin has two different sides. There are still some weaknesses for Yellow Auto. Their main point is focused on the psychology of the employees and they aimed to increase the job satisfaction and commitment of employees. Although the good morale and loyalty of employee are important for the company development and culture forming, it is vitally dangerous if all top managers attention is focused on the psychology analysis of employees. They ignored to put more attention on th e marketing wave and flexible future. If marketing would suddenly change, all the previous work could not be efficient anymore. On the other hand, the competitors of Yellow Auto may be aware of this weak point of the company and attack Yellow Auto when the marketing is changing. If Yellow Auto is still paying attention on the psychology of managers and employees, but not to figure out strategies to face the changing market, Yellow Auto would be in big trouble. After these two steps, Yellow Auto come out the attitude and behavior which is the last step of the Perceptual Process Model. Recommendations advices on ways of maintaining advantages and facing challenges ¼Ã¢â‚¬ °and how to improve their decision making in the future From the results of the change in Yellow Auto Company, they indeed did a good job; however, it still has the points to be improved. Here this report is going to give some advices on maintaining the advantages and how to improve their decision making in the future. First, Yellow Auto should continue with their adjustment which maintains the current job satisfaction and commitment of employees. From the experience, increasing morale of employees indeed help people treat the company as their own family, so that they would take 100% effort for working. Also, the recruited personnel for the the right person for the right job should be continued. That saves a lot of time for both managers and employees. From the psychology perspective, this change to some extent increases the morale and loyalty of employees. People can sense the feeling of being valued and nobodys talent would be wasted in some meaningless position. However, there are various sources of perceptual process bias that deserve more attention (Zajonc Nieuwenhuyse, 1964). These perceptual process should be put enough attention by Yellow Auto. They may be able to slow down the development of the company. For example, the attribution error easily leads to the perpetual process bias. All human beings tend to see the favorable point as the future result. Actually that is rather dangerous. If top managers of Yellow Auto were with the attribution error, they would fail to anticipate the actual direction of marketing, so that they may not be able to make the very first decision, that is, a goal of 50% marketing share. Another serious perpetual process bias is recency effect (Broadbent, 1967). Thats why top managers in one company should have long distance insight, and be able to avoid the garble brought by some fancy recency effect. Last but not the least, Yellow Auto should put more attention on the marketing wave and possible change. Although the good morale and loyalty of employee are important for the company development and culture forming, it is vitally dangerous if all top managers attention is focused on the psychology analysis of employees. Then other competitors would seize this opportunities to occupy the good marketing. The huge loss can be hardly saved by psychology. Conclusion This paper aims to study the case of Yellow Auto Automotive Company, from the perspective of psychology to investigate the decision making issues in this company. First, a brief introduction of the company is given to offer the basic information of Yellow Auto. As one of the most well-known car company, Yellow Auto Company was built in 1989 by two brothers and occupied 54% marketing share in 2008. Yellow Auto used to make several important decisions in the whole changing process. This report analyzed the implementation of these decisions by the company from the transactional analysis perspective. Next, the changing strategies of Yellow Auto are looked into from the psychology of the decision maker. And the strength and weakness of the decisions made in this case are analyzed based on the Perceptual Process model. One strong strength point of Yellow Auto is that their top manager did well in perceiving the right marketing trend and anticipating a bright and feasible goal for the compa ny. However, their main point is put on the psychology of the employees and they aimed to increase the job satisfaction and commitment of employees. They ignored to put more attention on the marketing wave and flexible future. If marketing would suddenly change, all the previous work could not be efficient anymore. At last, suggestions on how to maintain long and short comings of Yellow Auto are given and how to improve their decision making in the future is also discussed. Yellow Auto should continue with their adjustment which maintains the current job satisfaction and commitment of employees. And the recruited personnel for the the right person for the right job should be also continued. However, there are various sources of perceptual process bias that deserve more attention, such as attribution error and recency effect. And Yellow Auto should put more attention on the marketing wave and possible change.

Private Schools vs. Public Schools Essay -- Private Schools Public Sch

Parents often wonder how to start off their children’s education. Depending on ones religion or beliefs a private or public school is a choice most parents face. Of course, each school offers it’s own pros and con’s the choice is simple. Public schools offer the best well rounding of a student. While being enrolled in a public school, students are faced with real outside world problems, are with a different blend of students each year, and are also introduced to the latest technology faster. While, a public school the money is offered to them by the state easier then having donations like a private school. Ones child will most likely be with the same students throughout their educational years. Classes aren’t as big and varied like classes at public schools. While in a public schoo...

Women Change the World

Women change the world â€Å"A woman is like a tea bag- you never know how strong she is until she gets in hot water†, these were the well said words of former US first lady and leading feminist Eleanor Roosevelt. How many women do our lives comprise of, how many have we thanked. The daughters, the mothers,  the sisters, the fribblings – friends like siblings, the wives, the aunts, the nieces, the grand-some things, the young uns, the teens. The women in our  lives. Who love, lose, cry. Laugh, heal, thrive. Nurture.Create. Have we thanked them enough for the great changes they’ve made? History is evident of the fact that its golden pages wouldn’t be as revolutionary as they are without the women that existed, that strived and persisted on for a change, for a difference. A glimpse into these chapters remind us that we have stood up and against barbarian acts, we have invented and discovered the unknown, we have written the unforgettable, we have chased the most feared, we have done the unbelievable, WE have made a change.The women who have been leaders of this race of change are boundlessly many, the writers, the scientists, the politicians, the mutineers but today we shall borrow the time to recount the glories and honor a few outstanding ones out of them. No 1. Everyday millions of people ride the buses of America; some prefer to sit in the front rows while others at the back. In the 1950s, Rosa Parks rode a bus to work five days a week. Even though black people had supposedly been equal citizens for almost a hundred years, the law did not allow her to choose her seat.Rosa Parks known as the â€Å"mother of the civil rights movement† put the wheels of change in motion by refusing to give up her seat for a white man. That is what ignited the eternal spark of anti racism. No 2. Marie Curie was the first women to receive the Nobel Prize and the first person to win it for 2 separate categories. Her first award was for researc h into radioactivity (Physics 1903). Her second Nobel Prize was for Chemistry in 1911. A few years later she also helped develop the first x-ray machines. Marie Curie was not only a scientific pioneer, but also a social pioneer.Marie Curie: Overachiever, who cooked, cleaned, discovered radium, and raised a Nobel Prize-winning daughter. Her many accomplishments were not only astonishing for her time but have yet to be equaled in our time. No 3. Some books are timeless, and even though they were written long ago they are still enjoyed by modern readers. Jane Austen was an English novelist whose books, set among the English middle and upper classes, are notable for their wit, social observation and insights into the lives of early 19th century women.She was the author of several enduringly popular English novels, including: Pride and Prejudice, Emma and Mansfield Park. Jane Austen wrote at a time when female writers were very rare, helping pave the way for future writers. She made a ch ange by writing when women were forbidden to do so another pride to the long list of history makers. No 4: The patron saint of France, Joan of Arc received â€Å"heavenly visions† giving her the inspiration to lead the French in revolt against the occupation of the English.An unlikely heroine; at the age of just 17 the diminutive Joan successfully led the French to victory at Orleans. Her later trial and martyrdom on false premises only heightened her mystique. Joan of Arc achieved a remarkable achievement in her short life of 19 years. In particular she embodied religious devotion with great bravery and humility, her life helped change the course of French history. Her words of wisdom have gone down in history, â€Å"One life is all we have and we live it as we believe in living it.But to sacrifice what you are and to live without belief, that is a fate more terrible than dying. †Ã‚   No 5: One of the most innovative fashion designers Coco Chanel was instrumental in d efining feminine style and dress during the 20th Century. Her ideas were revolutionary; in particular she often took traditionally male clothes and redesigned them for the benefit of women. In her own golden words â€Å"Fashion is not something that exists in dresses only. Fashion is in the sky, in the street, fashion has to do with ideas, the way we live, what is happening. She prided herself on her great taste, fashion and practicality combined with an awareness of what people wanted. It was this that made her the most recognizable name in world fashion. And last but not the least No 6: Devoting her life to the service of the poor and dispossessed Mother Teresa became a global icon for selfless service to others. Through her missionary of Charities organisation she personally cared for 1000s of sick and dying people in Calcutta. She was awarded the Nobel Peace prize in 1979.When Mother Teresa received the prize, she was asked, â€Å"What can we do to promote world peace? † Her answer was simple: â€Å"Go home and love your family . â€Å"Over the last two decades of her life, Mother Teresa suffered various health problems but nothing could dissuade her from fulfilling her mission of serving the poor and needy. Until her very last illness she was active in travelling around the world to the different branches of â€Å"The Missionaries of Charity†. Mother Teresa was a living saint who offered a great example and inspiration to the world.Through the centuries, women have tried to be equal to men. From their position in the workplace to voting rights, women have struggled to gain equal rights. It is this struggle, this strive, this pain, this suffering that has made women so much more capable than they were once believed to be, these have given women the power and have ignited the flame that has gone on to change the world . Women, not only the handful that I have listed, but far more than these have changed and continue to change our world for the greater good, every single day.

Why was there a revolution in March 1917?

Russia was a very backward country compared with the other European countries. There were few factories before 1890 and there had been little industrial development in Russia. By 1990, however, many peasants were leaving the countryside to work in the towns and industry made twice as much in 1990 as in 1890. This meant that towns like Moscow and StPetersburg grew up quickly. In these towns grew slums where the working class, that had previously not existed at all, lived. The increased population of the towns meant there was more pressure on Russia's farmers to produce more food, which could not be done with the medieval farming methods still in use. In other words Russia was in the middle of an industrial revolution when the Tsar was forced to abdicate in 1917. All other European countries had been through the same process, but without such a drastic side effect. Whereas in England and France the government had changed to accommodate the needs of the new social order, in Russia these changes had been used as an excuse to get rid of the Tsar. Therefore, it was largely the Tsar's inadequacy as a ruler and the mistakes he made that led to a revolution in 1917. Tsar Nicholas was not a strong ruler and was out of touch with the needs and realities of his country. He himself was extremely wealthy and surrounded by only the good things in life, and associated only with the aristocracy. He ruled as an autocrat, unaided by any parliament. Nicholas succeeded in keeping power by the secret police, the Okhrana, military power and censorship of the press. Nicholas believed he was chosen by God. Influenced by one of his ministers, Pobedonostev, he forced the Russian Orthodox religion on other ethnic groups, especially the Jews, and on the people in schools, the army and work places. This made him even more unpopular than before, with his use of terror to oppress his people. In 1905, there was nearly another revolution. The causes of that demonstrated the bad feeling against the Tsar, as did the number of anti-government publications when censorship was relaxed in 1903, and the strikes and demands when the Tsar tried to set up government-approved unions. In 1904 Tsar Nicholas tried to unite his country by going to war with Japan over parts of the crumbling Chinese Empire. This led to many humiliating defeats and a display of Russian incompetence in organisation. This further increased the bad feeling towards the Tsar. All these, coupled with failed harvests and low wages, resulted in a peaceful protest on 22 January 1905, which was led by Father Gapon. Father Gapon organised a strike and a petition that requested better working conditions, an elected parliament and an end to war. He marched with the workers to present the petition to the Tsar at the winter palace, not knowing that he had left the day before. When they arrived at the palace, the soldiers turned on the crowd and started firing. That day became known as ‘Bloody Sunday'. In the same year, the Tsar's uncle was shot, there was an increase in peasant riots, there was mutiny on the battleship Potemkin, printers went on strike and there was a general strike where practically everything closed down towards the end of the year. Tsar Nicholas survived the events of 1905 because then and afterwards the army supported him, and made sure that by March 1906 all revolution was crushed and its leaders were either dead, exiled or in hiding. Nicholas was lucky in that the great massof peasants blamed the land owners and not himself, and that censorship of the newspapers was still in place. He also protected himself by agreeing to the October Manifesto. This was a list of promises given by the Tsar that was drawn up by Witte. Included in it were promises for a Duma or parliament elected by the people, civil rights, uncensored press and the right to form political parties. This was successful in taking pressure off the Tsar and secured the middle class's support of the government. It did not, however, satisfy the revolutionaries and later on it appeared that they were right in regarding the Manifesto with suspicion. Although there was freedom of expression, newspapers were fined if they printed anything offending the Tsar, and the Duma was so limited that it was virtually ineffective. In it the proletariat and the peasants were highly under-represented. Even so the Tsar failed to accept it as a governing body and it was only by the time of the fourth Duma that he begun to work with it. After 1905, life did begin to change in Russia and a key figure responsible for these changes was Stolypin, the Prime Minister appointed by the Tsar. He used the army to exert the Tsar's power in the countryside by setting up military courts that could sentence and hang a person on the spot. The hangman's noose became known as Stolypin's necktie. The terror this caused was heightened by the still-active Okhrana that had many informers. People were required to carry internal passports and travellers to register with the police of the area they were staying in. In 1911, Stolypin affected changes in the countryside to make agriculture more productive. Peasants could buy land from their neighbours with money borrowed from a peasant's bank set up by Stolypin. The aim in this was to create a wealthy class of peasants loyal to the government, kulaks. 15% took up this offer and Stolypin's theory appeared to have worked with record harvests in 1913. The poorer peasants became labourers or factory workers. Four million were encouraged to cultivate land along the Trans-Siberian railway but found that it was already taken by rich land speculators. They then returned, angry, to European Russia. In the towns there was an industrial boom that meant production increased by 100% between 1906 and 1914. The workers, however, did not benefit from this increase with the average wage being under what it was in 1903. In 1912, an important strike took place in the Lena goldfields in Siberia that led to 170 dead workers and 375 wounded. This had a similar effect to Bloody Sunday and gave way to many workers' protests. These changes affected some, even if very little, improvements in Russia and would have led to more had had they not been interrupted by the First World War. The war meant that the fourth Duma had to be dismissed, just when the Tsar had begun accepting it. However, at first the war seemed good for Russia; initially there were successes and the people supported the Tsar but even at first the similarities to the Russo-Japanese war were obvious, except that the effects would be far worse as it would be a far longer war, giving the Tsar more time to make mistakes. The early enthusiasm for the war dwindled quickly as losses mounted high. The soldiers went to the front without proper warfare or equipment as basic as boots for the cold and wet. They blamed their officers for their ill organisation. Life was hard in the towns also. There was little food and what there was, was sent to the soldiers but often did not get to them. People were starving in the cities and there were huge bread queues. Prices went up as there was a shortage of nearly everything but the workers' wages did not. Coal was unavailable and as the factories closed. People were hungry, cold and unemployed. Morale also dropped as stories from the front told of misery and defeat. In September 1915 Tsar Nicholas made a great mistake by taking over the running of the war. This was such a massive error because the people now blamed him for the suffering brought about by the war. It also meant that he left Russia in the hands of Rasputin and Alexandra. The Tsarina was not popular as she was thought to be a German spy and Rasputin was infamous fir his behaviour. Together they replaced the able ministers of the Duma with favourites or men that would do as they were told. The Tsar lost support continually until March 1917 as he was held responsible for the war and things it had caused. By March 1917 the proletariat did not only want their physical needs satisfied but they also wanted political change. On the seventh forty thousand workers from the Putilov engineering works went on strike in Petrograd. The next day they were joined in their demonstrations by thousands of women. Over the next few days men and women demanded food, fuel and better conditions together. On the twelfth soldiers joined the strikers and marched with them to the Duma. Instead of shooting at the crowds, they shot at their officers. The Tsar had lost the support of the army. The Tsar could not survive revolution this time. He had lost the support of the army that had been very important to him in keeping control by suppressing any opposition. Underneath him the people had always been divided into different political factions but this time only a portion of the aristocracy supported him. On 15 March, the railway workers did not allow the Tsar's train into Petrograd. Certain army officials entered the Tsar's compartment to ask him to abdicate but the Tsar had already decided to do this in favour of his brother as his son's medical condition meant that there would be added difficulty to his ruling. However, Russia had had enough of the Tsars. Some people think that abdication was the biggest mistake of all as it meant certain ruination for the Romanovs. The 1917 revolution was the result of a combination of factors. In the short term, the First World War was an important cause, but there was a growing dissatisfaction with the Tsarist regime and the economic and social hardships it caused, that nearly boiled over in 1905. Everything that ever happened or did not happen in Russia could be shown as a reason for it but what made it so significant was what happened after the overthrowing of the Tsar with the Provisional Government and Lenin.

Bombing Hiroshima and Nagasaki essays

Bombing Hiroshima and Nagasaki essays On the dates of August 6th and August 9th a major impact on national history was made. Many of us Americans were taking part in our normal every day routines, meanwhile the United States military was dropping a Nuclear Hydrogen bomb on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Most of the Pearl Harbor revenge seekers were glad, while few sensitive mourned the dropping. Whichever one you were, you conceded that this devastating military action was in order to eradicate us from war. On the flip side of the coin, the people who lived in the city of Hiroshima and Nagasaki that were now dead, hurt, or missing, felt the wrath of war and felt it hard. Thousands of people were killed, but some survivors lived to tell the story. Many people have different perspectives on if a weapon of this magnitude should have been implemented. Writer John Hersey interviewed a survivor of the Hiroshima bombing named Hatsuyo Nakamura. In Herseys writings he clearly states the effects of the atomic bomb on Nakamuras life then and throughout her life. Hersey describes Nakamuras health throughout his work. For example, A month after the bombing, she came down with radiation sickness; she lost most of her hair and lay in bed for weeks with a high fever....worrying about how to support her children.(Hersey 203). It is implied that Herseys main purpose for writing this story is to try and make the readers relate to her situation and relive the crisis through the eyes of Nakamura. Obviously, through this technique he is indirectly showing his disapproval of the use of this military weapon. William L. Laurence, permitted to fly with the mission to drop the second atomic bomb on Nagasaki, witnessed first hand, through his own eyes, the incredible impact its presence felt. Laurence was the only reporter to know about the top-secret testing of the atomic bomb and the military took him along for the ride, a ride ...

The Lottery by Shirley Jackson Essays

The Lottery by Shirley Jackson Essays The Lottery by Shirley Jackson Essay The Lottery by Shirley Jackson Essay ?â€Å"The Lottery,† a short story written by Dr. Shirley Jackson, It’s a 3rd person Narrative tale story with a neutral tone but an unforeseen ending. The author creates a story filled with interesting setting, symbolism, even in forms of characters, irony, grim reality, and a ritualized tradition that masks evil, which ultimately demonstrates how people blindly follow tradition. The setting of this story is anonymous the town is unnamed and its locations is not stated. with the help of close reading it seems to take place in a rural small farming community that has about three hundred people. In the beginning of the story the writer painted a beautiful atmosphere fill with joy but also anticipation because throughout the story, the reader gets an odd feeling about the residents and their annual practice hosted every year on June 27th called â€Å"The Lottery†. While reading through the second paragraph of the story there is an overwhelming sense that something terrifying is about to happen. Jackson’s use effects such as foreshadowing through the depiction of characters and setting. The literary device call Allegory is well seen in this story. The nature of the lottery itself is seem as an aspect of the story that is not exactly part of the plot nor the character’s even thou it connects to all the parts. Some other symbols that are mention are the Black box, the ballot which is blank containing one with a black dot and stones. The black box seems to symbolize the past, present and origins.The Black box also represents death. The ballot with the black dot can also represent evil or chosen one. according to folktales any white surface that has a black dot on it is consider sinful or curse.The Significant of the stones in this story give a hint that violence was seeking in. The social context in this story was clearly seen that the villagers was participating in a tradition that their themselves was not fully sure why it wa

Birth Control and Abortion

Other times of birth control which are a little bit more complexes are the IUD anther more percent type of birth control is getting there tubes tied. There are other things that women can do if they do become pregnant and they choose they do not want to have a child at this time in their life. There are pills they can take five days after they have sex which can be bought over the counter at any drug store, There are also abortion pills that can be taken up to your 6th week of pregnancy, and last but not least a women has the choice to terminate a pregnancy by getting an abortion. Abortion is a big issue in today’s times and it is also a topic that can make some feel one of many different types of emotions. Abortion can happen up until the 13 week of a pregnancy. Abortion is a permit solution in terminating a pregnancy it can also be damage a female in many different ways not only physically but mentally as well. Abortions are a way to terminate pregnancies but they should not be used as a type of birth control. There are many pros and cons of both situation and everyone women should look into their options Birth Control comes in many forms for both men and women. The most common for the two would be condoms and birth control pills. Women can also seek other methods like diaphragms, Depo-Provera shots, Norplant’s, Nuvarings, or even a birth control patch however; the most powerful form of birth control would be absence (Planned Parenthood Federation of America, 2007). All these methods are proven effective but may cause some side effects in some people. Birth Control Method| Common Side Effects| Depo-ProveraLess than 1 out of 100 women a year will become pregnant by taken the shot when directed. Cost: $35 – 75Injected into the arm and last for 3 months. * Irregular bleeding especially within the first year. * Change in sex drive. * Change in appetite or weight gain. * Headaches * Nausea * Sore breast| Norplant’s (Implants)Less than 1 out of 100 women a year may become pregnant. Cost: $400-800Inserted into the arm and last for 3yrs. | * Change in sex drive. * Irregular bleeding within 6 to 12 months. * Discoloring or scarri ng where the implant was placed. * Rarely, an infection in the implant location. * Sore breast * Weight gain| Birth Control PillsFew as 1 in 100 women will become pregnant in a year if they use the pill effectively. Cost: $15-50 per monthMust take pill every day at same time to be most effective. | * Bleeding between periods. * Breast tenderness. * Nausea and/or vomiting| Condoms 2 out of 100 women may still become pregnant after using a condom correctlyCost: $1 eachCan be used by men. This device also prevent against sexual transmitted diseases. Female condoms are also available. | * Most common complaint is people are allergic to the latex which condoms are made from. * Condoms do break which forms no protection. | These are just a few of the outlined cost and complications that have been associated with different forms of birth control. Although, many have a great success record absence is the only method that is truly 100% effective. However, if women and men both actively participate in using contraceptives then they may avoid STD’s (with the use of condoms), and unwanted or unplanned pregnancies. Abortion is a medical procedure for any expecting mother to elect to have about her own body. The procedure can be performed up until the mother is in her second trimester. When a child is in the first trimester they weigh on average a 1/2 ounce and estimated to be 3 inches long (Just mommies, 2003-2012). During the first trimester the child also has a heartbeat that can be heard with ultrasonic devices. When a mother reached her second trimester the child is still growing developing more specific features. By the end of the second trimester the child will have developed all major organs (Just mommies, 2003-2012). Many people consider the abortion procedure to be immoral and wrong because it involves taking the life of an unborn child who has already developing in the womb. Over 7% of women just their reason for seeking an abortion because they were a victim of rape or incest and health concerns for the mother or baby (M, 2012). Many women who opt for this procedure may find themselves suffering from guilt or depression afterwards resulting in a life altering experience. For individual who don’t want to have children they have different types of birth control that can to prevent pregnancy. Birth control can come in a pill, patch, shot, surgical, internal, or abstinence. Birth control is not only for women but men as well. Men can use condoms to help protect them from getting women pregnant as well as protect themselves from sexually transmitted diseases. Men can also have a vasectomy which can cause them not to be able to produce children at all. Women have a similar procedure but it is called a tubal litigation. This prevents the woman from producing an egg and being fertilized. Each form of birth control comes with some type of side effect and it is best that the individual chooses what is comfortable for them. The side effects can vary depending on the individual and how their body adapts to the medication. Some women like to look at abortion as a type of birth control. There are different types of abortion and also different types of birth control. With abortion the different methods are used at each different point in pregnancy and may be performed different each time also. There are the first trimester abortions which can be suction aspiration or dilation and curettage also known as Damp;C. the suction aspiration is the most common surgical methods that is used in the first trimester abortions, this is when the cervix is numbed and stretched open. It allows the abortionist to suck the baby’s body out with a knife like plastic tube. During the suction the lining of the uterus may be torn away. The Damp;C methods are somewhat similar to the suction. The instrument used for this procedure is called a curette (a loop shaped steel knife) which is used to scrape the wall of the uterus. During this procedure the baby and the uterus if cut up into pieces and then sucked out. An abortion can also be performed with a chemical implantation. Abortions can take place in each stage of pregnancy and is performed in different ways according to the size of the baby and what stage you are at in your pregnancy. For the second trimester there is a procedure that is used that is similar to the Damp;C and it is called the Damp;E or dilation and evacuation. With this procedure the woman is given some type of sedative and the abortionist is dilates the women and use instruments such as forceps to pull the baby to pieces. There is also a late second and third trimester abortions. During the late second and third trimester abortions the abortionist uses instillation techniques which is injects lethal chemicals into the amniotic fluid by an amniocentesis, intra cardiac injections which stop the unborn heart or hysterectomies which are identical to a cesarean section and is intended to harm the child. These are only a few of the abortion techniques that are used but more exists. Birth control and abortions can help with decision making when it comes to having or not having children. Some individuals look at abortions and are totally against it and other may use it as a form of birth control. Women start out as teenagers using birth control to prevent early pregnancy or pregnancy at all. Both of these methods come with side effects and it should be strictly the individual’s choice to use either one.

If you followed all the laws, would that make you a moral person Why Essay

If you followed all the laws, would that make you a moral person Why or why not - Essay Example The readings further offered the insight that under such circumstances it becomes the moral responsibility of citizens in the society to oppose such laws and disobey them. Therefore, as discerned from the core textbooks and outside research, I can discern that when an individual obeys all the laws in society, it does not make him a moral person. Obeying just laws, which are intended for the common good and well being of all the citizens, is the responsibility of every citizen in a country, as emphasized in the core reading and the journal articles I accessed during the research. These are intended to maintain peace and harmony within the society and to protect the weak from the strong. Similarly, laws also seek to prevent crimes, immorality and other evils within the society. Thus, citizens are bound to obey just laws for the prevalence of peace and harmony within the human society and when they break laws they become immoral people. On the other hand, the readings from the textbook chapters and other research materials I know that when unjust laws are enacted by rulers, such laws compromise the concept of common good. Thus, many political philosophers contend that unjust laws are no laws at all but â€Å"acts of violence† (George, 2008, p.194). Human history is replete with instances of exploitation of the weak by the ruling class through discrimination and other atrocities. The Nazi regime of Hitler sets a classic example of immoral rulers, who enacted discriminatory laws for the annihilation of particular races and it was considered as a breaking of law to â€Å"aid and comfort† members of these groups (Forji, 2010, p.156). The citizens of Germany, who had a moral responsibility to live in consonance with the tenets of â€Å"justice, and love for fellow man† failed to stand up to their moral responsibility, which led to the mass murder of millions and thus entailed the violation of common good (p.156). In this context, my readings provide me the

To What Extent Do Middle Eastern States Have the Capacity to Develop Essay

To What Extent Do Middle Eastern States Have the Capacity to Develop Civilian Nuclear Power Programs And Would This Development Encourage Regional Cooperation - Essay Example This report stresses that the International Atomic Energy Agency is the organization accorded the mandate to monitor countries utilising nuclear energy. In an article written in the New York Times, it is stated that a thin line exists between civilian and military nuclear programs. Thus, in the light of this knowledge, this paper seeks to examine the extent to which, Middle Eastern nations have the capacity to develop nuclear power programs. By examining their capacity, the paper will in turn evaluate whether regional cooperation can be encouraged by this development. This paper makes a conclusion that the Middle East countries are seeking ways to finance their programs through various means such as public-private partnerships. Management of fuel has been a hindrance in most civilian nuclear power programs in the Middle East because most countries have not created regulatory measures on fuel acquisition, storage of used fuel or even its disposal. The Middle East as a region lacks the local manpower for its nuclear power programs. Their reliance on outsourced human resource is cannot be sustained. In terms of international cooperation, countries in the Middle East are doing well based on the agreements they are signatories to. The development of civilian nuclear power programs in the Middle East will encourage regional cooperation through sharing of nuclear experiences and technology as countries in the Middle East are at various levels of their programs.

Graduate Opportunities in the University of Nottingham Essay

Graduate Opportunities in the University of Nottingham - Essay Example I handle responsibility very well and, moreover, am able to act on my own initiative or to work as part of the team, as the situation requires. My PhD Project was a Hybrid Mop-fan Thermoelectric system that aims to produce conditioned air for a room/building with a lesser toll on the environment. The system I developed is more suitable for hot-dry climate area. Now I am looking forward to expanding my experience by getting relevant employment.   Currently I am working as a project engineer for Knowledge Transfer Partner (KTP) Association; this is a joint program between Cooper Technology and University of Nottingham. I am handling a project with a budget of  £200,000, which entails designing and manufacturing a new unbound material tester. I have to run this project by myself; starting from market awareness, project management, designing and manufacturing of the product to testing the product, promotion and selling of the product, I handle everything on my own. My educational background is Engineering only, however, with the help of my current job I have had the opportunity to learn management as well. This opportunity was also provided by KTP when they enrolled me in a number of training courses including those for project management, marketing, finance and leadership, software package training course, etc. I can now apply the knowledge that I gained from these training courses to my project work, and drive it to the rig ht direction. Your firm is of particular interest to me because it is well established and reputable with a good track record – especially in the building industry. A graduate placement with your firm will definitely add a wealth of experience to my work, especially within the domain of my studies, and also to my professional capabilities. I consider myself to be a well-motivated and enthusiastic individual who enjoys challenges.

Ultimate fighting championship Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Ultimate fighting championship - Essay Example Since UFC is spreading its vision to digital platforms, there are a lot of career opportunities for affiliate marketers, as UFC continues to enter into partnerships with advanced distribution partners, like Xbox and Play Station. Jobs are available for the management of affiliate marketing relationships with these distribution partners. Opportunities are also available in UFC sales and marketing department for carrying out corporate sponsorship sales. The job of a senior director in UFC sales and marketing will be to generate revenue by advertising the portfolio of UFC international entities. He will also be responsible for gaining scholarships and building business relationships with high-profile corporate partners. Market research coordinators are also required in UFC. A market research coordinator will be responsible for regularly coordinating and managing research projects regarding event planning, sponsorship, public relations, advertising, marketing through digital media, and o ther company divisions. Other career opportunities are present for Digital Marketing Partnerships Manager, General Manager, Digital Marketing Manager, Human Resources Manager, Recruiter, Digital Media Analyst, Digital Media Affiliate Marketing Manager, and Cost Accountant (Simply Hired, Inc.). This shows that UFC offers a vast variety of career opportunities. As far as goals and objectives are concerned, UFC aims to train best fighters in the world, while giving innovations to its programs and events. It also aims to go into business partnerships with high-end distribution partners. Since it is the fastest developing sports organization in the whole wide world, it aims to promote mixed martial arts at a global level. It also aims to arrange tournaments of highly skilled athletes in various disciplines of martial arts including karate, jiu-jitsu, kickboxing, boxing, wrestling, grappling, sumo and various other fighting sports. UFC has another

The Effect of English Law Human Rights Act 1998 Essay

The Effect of English Law Human Rights Act 1998 - Essay Example The courts in the UK are required to give effect to the provisions of the ECHR, which bestows new powers upon the UK judges. It also requires public authorities to comply with the provisions of the ECHR. In the area of employment law, the HRA focuses on unfair dismissal of employees. The present employment law is effective in protecting the interests of employees. However, in the wake of the HRA, employers would have to be more cautious in their dealings with their employees (Human Rights Act takes effect, 2000). The Human Rights Act 1998 introduces several provisions that relate to employment law. The Act prohibits the unfair dismissal of employees. For instance, Eurostar, reinstated two female employees, it had dismissed for wearing trousers, due to the enactment of the Human Rights Act. The dismissal of female employees, on grounds of inappropriate dress, is generally on the basis of a substantial reason. This clause has been removed by the new Act. However, it does not provide any novel and enforceable rights to employees (Hirst, 2000, 3). Some rights under the European Convention on Human Rights, such as the Article 3 rights that prohibit torture, or subjection to inhuman or degrading treatment, are absolute rights. Judges are required to maintain a balance between the rights and the responsibilities of individuals with regard to their commercial interests. Article 9 provides the right to hold religious beliefs. This is an absolute right; and individuals have the right to manifest their religious beliefs through worship, teaching, practice and observance. These activities can be conducted, either in private or in the public (Lammy). Although it is absolute in nature, it has to be limited to ensure the interests of public safety and to protect public order. The rights and freedoms of people belonging to other religions have to be respected. As

Graduate Opportunities in the University of Nottingham Essay

Graduate Opportunities in the University of Nottingham - Essay Example I handle responsibility very well and, moreover, am able to act on my own initiative or to work as part of the team, as the situation requires. My PhD Project was a Hybrid Mop-fan Thermoelectric system that aims to produce conditioned air for a room/building with a lesser toll on the environment. The system I developed is more suitable for hot-dry climate area. Now I am looking forward to expanding my experience by getting relevant employment.   Currently I am working as a project engineer for Knowledge Transfer Partner (KTP) Association; this is a joint program between Cooper Technology and University of Nottingham. I am handling a project with a budget of  £200,000, which entails designing and manufacturing a new unbound material tester. I have to run this project by myself; starting from market awareness, project management, designing and manufacturing of the product to testing the product, promotion and selling of the product, I handle everything on my own. My educational background is Engineering only, however, with the help of my current job I have had the opportunity to learn management as well. This opportunity was also provided by KTP when they enrolled me in a number of training courses including those for project management, marketing, finance and leadership, software package training course, etc. I can now apply the knowledge that I gained from these training courses to my project work, and drive it to the rig ht direction. Your firm is of particular interest to me because it is well established and reputable with a good track record – especially in the building industry. A graduate placement with your firm will definitely add a wealth of experience to my work, especially within the domain of my studies, and also to my professional capabilities. I consider myself to be a well-motivated and enthusiastic individual who enjoys challenges.

The Effect of English Law Human Rights Act 1998 Essay

The Effect of English Law Human Rights Act 1998 - Essay Example The courts in the UK are required to give effect to the provisions of the ECHR, which bestows new powers upon the UK judges. It also requires public authorities to comply with the provisions of the ECHR. In the area of employment law, the HRA focuses on unfair dismissal of employees. The present employment law is effective in protecting the interests of employees. However, in the wake of the HRA, employers would have to be more cautious in their dealings with their employees (Human Rights Act takes effect, 2000). The Human Rights Act 1998 introduces several provisions that relate to employment law. The Act prohibits the unfair dismissal of employees. For instance, Eurostar, reinstated two female employees, it had dismissed for wearing trousers, due to the enactment of the Human Rights Act. The dismissal of female employees, on grounds of inappropriate dress, is generally on the basis of a substantial reason. This clause has been removed by the new Act. However, it does not provide any novel and enforceable rights to employees (Hirst, 2000, 3). Some rights under the European Convention on Human Rights, such as the Article 3 rights that prohibit torture, or subjection to inhuman or degrading treatment, are absolute rights. Judges are required to maintain a balance between the rights and the responsibilities of individuals with regard to their commercial interests. Article 9 provides the right to hold religious beliefs. This is an absolute right; and individuals have the right to manifest their religious beliefs through worship, teaching, practice and observance. These activities can be conducted, either in private or in the public (Lammy). Although it is absolute in nature, it has to be limited to ensure the interests of public safety and to protect public order. The rights and freedoms of people belonging to other religions have to be respected. As

Sport and Society in Ancient Greece Essay Example for Free

Sport and Society in Ancient Greece Essay Ancient Greece is one of the most ancient civilizations in history and some historians say it is one of the greatest. They have survived many invasions and attacks from barbarians and Persians as well. The Greeks those times were divided into city states and they don’t have any form of alliance with each other. They don’t help each other on wars they except for times that they don’t have a choice. The Greek society is basically unique. Greece had never been united under one sole ruler. And even the city states are fought among each other on whom or which city-state should rule Greece. These qualities of the Greece made the Greek history interesting. Mark Golden’s book, Sport and Society in Ancient Greece, had elaborated the key points of the Greek society subjected on common theme. The book uses the Greek sport and games to give very good description of the Greek society. It expressively explained the sport as very important part of the society of Greece. In addition to this, he related the Greek sport to religion, social status, gender, age and other things that constitute to study of its society. Golden uses the sports arena to surface the differences among individuals and groups of the Greek society. The fact that it is theme-oriented made the book readers friendly. Most history professor uses this book as a very good guide to teach history. The themes use in the Golden’s book made it reader friendly. Identifying the themes of the book would be relatively easy. One of the themes he used is the Greek sport. In fact, it unites all ideas in the book. He used the Greek sport as a standpoint of the differences of the Greeks. He explained it using various events in the competitions and its competitors. He explained why most explained that in every event there is a kind of group that can participate. He also expressly give emphasize the difference of participants in the athletic events to the equestrian events. In virtue of this, he elaborated the tension between to the two types of contest. He explained that he sees the difference on the participants of the said events reflect on how the Greek society was comprised. Another theme he used in his book was the stories of Iliad and Odyssey. He uses explain the start of the games and the religious beliefs of the Greek society. The stories of Iliad and Odyssey was widely use in their religious activities. The fact that most of the games was done in tribute to the Gods of Greece. They do this by reliving the great stories of both Homer’s epic novel. They believe that Homer’s epic novel were very accurate about the Gods activities. They had lived with this belief with so many years. The next theme which Mark Golden used in the book was the historical background of Greece. He stated several historical events in Greece that influences the Greek culture and the games. He had explained briefly how some games had started and the changes that the Greeks had implemented to the games. He had emphasized the importance of these historical events to the Greek society. The last theme that I will list here is the relation of the social status to events a Greek can participate. He uses this theme through out the book. He basically discusses the social hierarchy the Greek have in their society as times came by. The book clearly differentiated the differences on how a group of Greeks or an individual can participate in the sport or the games. Golden stated that in the equestrian events slaves can only win as jockeys and other rules they applied in this event. The social discrimination in the Greek society was highlighted in the book. The themes he uses simply put the book in position that it is easy to read, can be use as teaching material because of its reliability, and its distinct use of other literatures of other historians. With this book, I could relive the moment the games had begun and gone on until today. I lived in Athens during the time Olympics had been established. It was a glorious moment for the Greeks. Everyone believed that these games can unite the whole of Greece where it could fight and function as one whole country. The start of the game signaled a turn in the history of the Greeks. The feeling of this glorious moment is very pleasing to me and to other Greeks as well. Imagine that a Greek won’t face another Greek in the battlefield again. I would join the games to prove the dominance of Athens over other city states. Joining the games as an Athenian is a privilege and a great honor for me. And befriending other Greek is as not bad as it looks in the past. Being at war with other Greek is pain that a soldier must overcome. Being a soldier, killing other Greeks is the most painful thing to do. It is as if it was killing your own brother. Nowadays that pain is nothing but a pigment of the past. I’m glad that my sons would not feel that pain that anymore. They will not go up against other Greeks except at the games. And it is for the gods after all. They had blessed us of something great. I thank our Gods that they found a way to stop the quarreling between city states of great Greece. After reading the book, I’ve come to think that the Greek games and sports are done to unify Greece and for entertainment. The world had mimic the Greek games and created Olympics. It symbolizes the unity of the nations participating in the Olympic Games. The fact that culture of Greek is carry out by the nations in the Olympics. It raises a sense of pride among the Greeks. Another thing is a realization that sports does come from religion. The games were held in religious festival in ancient times. The sports today are said to have a purpose of camaraderie, enjoyment, and battle of skills. It is shocking to know that it came from religion. The showing of facts in the book of Mark Golden had convinced me that sports started as tribute to the Gods. And that the relation of the religion and sports is undeniable. He presented reliable evidences that strengthened a claim made by a priest. The idea of classifying the participants that participate in an event was a shocking revelation. I thought at first that the classification of participants was done only to make the games fair. And that is invented after the world wars. It is shocking to know that these classifications were really done due to social status in ancient Greece. The structure of the games from those times to these days is very different. But to know that they have the same purpose is quite a relief. The most important idea that occurred to after reading Mark Golden’s book is that literature has something to do with sports. If you look at sports and literature at plain logic, they are very different because literature uses mental capabilities while the sports and games use physical abilities. The connection of literature and sports was established clearly in Mark Golden’s book. He clearly stated the relation of the two. The realization of the relation between the two is quite interesting and mind bugling. Mark Golden’s book clearly is one of a kind. Historians who read his book were very enthusiastic to discuss Greek history to his class. The reliability of the book make more convincing to historians or even to non-historians. The book is really a must read to people to who likes Greek history. Works Cited Golden, Mark. Sport and Society in Ancient Greece. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1998

The Strategic Group Mapping Model Marketing Essay

The Strategic Group Mapping Model Marketing Essay For the purpose of this report, the industry of choice was the cereal industry. The cereal industry is highly competitive with numerous businesses competing for an increased market share. The cereal industry is influenced by customer spending and customer lifestyle. In recent years, consumer behaviour has altered with customers becoming more health conscious. As a result of this, business within the cereal industry have introduced new products and modified existing products to appeal to health conscious customers. Based on research conduct, the following trends were identified within the cereal industry: Consumer behaviour changes Health conscious customers The main businesses within the cereal industry are Kelloggs, Nestlà ©, Weetabix, Flahavans and Odlums. Breakfast apart from being a necessity for breaking the fast, it is also seen as a social ritual amongst the majority of cultures around the world.  [1]   Three main trends emerge from an analysis of the industry: Acquisitions, Automation and Consolidation. The nature of the cereal industry is oligopoly as there are just a few firms dominating the industry. The key players were identified as Kelloggs, Origin Enterprises (Odlums), Nestle, Weetabix and Finegrove Holdings Ltd. (Flahavans).The breakfast cereal industry can be divided into two categories; hot breakfast cereals and Ready to Eat (RTE). The key drivers to operate in this industry were identified as: Reformulation of nutritional ingredient, Product differentiation, Contracts for raw materials, Economies of Scale and Creative advertising. The industry as a whole has an abundance external macro environment factors which are clearly seen in the PESTLE. Porters five forces identified medium barriers to entry, threat of substitutions and supplier power, but highlighted high buyer power and competitive rivalry. From using strategic mapping it was emphasised that players in the industry modernised /changed their strategies to respond to key trends in the industry. From analysing the five key players in the industry, it is clear that all have similar product diversification, product development (Ansoff growth matrix) Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats(SWOT Framework). Industry Landscape There were three key trends found from the players in the cereal industry. Kelloggs have consolidated 42 business websites into one website in order to give a clearer brand identity and to enhance the customer experience. In relation to automation, these players currently use technological advanced machinery to aid them in production and packaging. Finally in May 2012, 60% of shares from the Weetabix Food Company have been acquired by Chinas Bright Food Group while the remaining 40% is owned by Lion Capital. From these trends, there are issues that affect these players, in terms of market saturation and fluctuating prices for wheat and oats. These are potential threats for this industry as reported by Business Insights which states; cereal products have reached a level of saturation in many Western markets, so adding value and following consumer desires will be key to successful product lines. In order to combat this market saturation, businesses need to research, understand and acknowledge consumers requirements. The fluctuating prices of oats and wheat could affect each business within the cereal industry. The price fluctuations are a result of difficulties experienced during the growing seasonal period. Rising prices due to increasing costs for logistics and ingredients are primarily going to affect the breakfast cereal industry and its key players in the future. Cereal products could be sourced globally; however, there is a decline in international cereal production due to weather conditions  [2]  . If this continues, it could lead to cereal prices escalating and increases being passed down the distribution channel. There is increasing pressure for new product development amongst the industries key players. This could potentially increase market share and enhance revenue for the niche players such as Flahavans and Odlums, while allowing market leaders such as Kelloggs the opportunity to prevent smaller businesses from obtaining market growth. There is an increase in health conscious customers and in the future, this may define the product lines produced by the key players. From the acquisition of Weetabix, Bright Food Group has vowed to globally expand the Weetabix business by entering the growing breakfast cereal market within Asia. Changes to food consumption patterns within Asia have resulted in businesses entering Asian regions and selling food and beverages to consumers. Nationally, the cereal industry is worth à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬200 million per year with a profit between 40 45%. In relation to the current market position of these players, Kelloggs would be classed as the leader due to a 44% market share. With Nestle and Weetabix as the market followers, these businesses have a sizeable market share and remain competitive within this industry. The niche players, Flahavans and Odlums, are not as profitable as competitors, particularly Odlums who do not provide an extensive range of products. Competitive rivalries could arise between these industry players, as all competitors have similar products aiming at similar target markets. The threat of substitutes is also an issue for these players; as there is a rise in own brand products, such as Dunnes Stores and Tesco. These products are being introduced into the market due to the changing consumer spending habits. As this industry could be seen as oligopolistic, the power over suppliers and buyer could potentially increase, however for the niche players, the competition could intensify. Generally the cereal industry targets family oriented markets. In relation to Kelloggs and Nestle, they could be seen to target children, as these players introduce characters to their brands in order for the children to be attracted to these products. Weetabix, Flahavans and Odlums target mature audiences which can be seen to be under the family orientated market. For each key player, they must hold competitive advantage in order to sustain the market. The threshold resources that any player should have to operate within this industry include; finance, customer loyalty, brand awareness and a wide product range. Unique resources, such as Flahavans and Odlums, are particularly focused on the Irish aspects of the product. This involves the methods of producing the product and jobs that are created within the country. Irish consumers are value driven, however Irish products are important to these consumers. In previous years, Kelloggss held a very dominant position within the industry, however this has changed substantially as more competitors have entered the market and have impacted the profit obtained by Kelloggs. In 2010, there was a net income rise of Kelloggss, which has since fallen from $1.2 billion to $961 million and emphasises a dramatic decrease. In 2012, the share price of the business was volatile as it declined to $46.33 in July, however increased to an acceptable price of approximately $60 in December. The size of Kelloggs reduces the threat of a takeover occurring and exiting the market would not be foreseeable for Kelloggs. Kelloggs use of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is at the forefront when communicating with customers. This is highly evident in Give a child a breakfast campaign launched in October 2011 as this campaign highlighted the benefits of children eating breakfast. By highlighting this campaign, it improved the public perception of the company. Financial reports released for 2012, illustrated that the Nestle group as a whole had a successful financial year. It shows an increase in profit for the year by $1.8 billion. The cereal range of the business is represented in this figure which displays a positive financial performance for Nestle. Previously, Nestle has experienced a negative public image; Nestlà © attempts to divert criticism of its baby food marketing activities  [3]  . Nestle continuously attempt to improve their CSR identity within the eyes of the public. Bright Food Group generated revenues of approximately  £7.5 billion last year which indicates it has a large resource base to expand the Weetabix brand into more foreign markets. The acquisition of Weetabix would indicate that there is a high demand for cereal products globally as well as within its existing markets. The Weetabix brand has a long association with the British and Irish markets and has successfully reflected a positive brand image. However, the recent acquisition could have a positive and negative impact as it could be viewed as the loss of another indigenous company to a foreign multinational and may dilute the brand value. As Flahavans is a privately owned family operated business and similar to Weetabix, is not listed on any stock exchange. Flahavans is an established brand and retains the majority of the market share in relation to hot cereal breakfast in Ireland. This brand has a positive image among Irish customers and assisted the expansion into markets such as the UK and US. Flahavans is associated with Bord Bia and outlines the nutritional value of eating porridge as part of a healthy balanced diet. As the business is proud of its heritage and is a small player within the industry, the possibility of an acquisition may be unattractive to an established player. Odlums is part of the Origin Enterprise Group, which is listed on the Irish Stock Exchange and experienced an increased share price within the last year. The Odlums brand is well known within Ireland, primarily for their baking products. It could be perceived that the public have less recognition for the porridge range. The brand image is viewed positively and is also associated with Bord Bia. Within the cereal industry, there are certain aspects which could affect key players in the future. In terms of Kelloggs, they have primarily grown through merger and acquisitions. If all the key players follow this trend and grow like Kelloggs, they could possibly maintain market share growth. Further brand building of key players, could allow for growth in new divisions, for example Weetabix introducing a new range of biscuits. The majority of dominating businesses have a strong portfolio of products with great brand identity amongst its market share. If the key players continue to invest and grow their brand portfolio, it would be expected to have a positive long-term effect on those businesses. There is a possibility of a new pecking order in terms of the hot breakfast cereal market segment. At present, Flahavans is the market leader in this category. However, Kelloggs have developed a product, Kelloggs Corn Flake Porridge  [4]  , to compete against Flahavans porridge. This product has not been launched in Ireland, but could potentially dominate the market in the future. Currently, the key players are extending the life of their consumer recognisable products rather than removing them from the market place.  [5]  Customers would be willing to purchase familiar products and be more inclined to purchase new products launched by a trusted brand. The key players have adopted an extension strategy of their products. From analysis of the Ansoff Matrix  [6]  on the key players, it was evident that they had the same strategy which included the retention of existing customers and attraction of new customers by means of product development and product diversification. The key players are currently adopting marketing strategies to ensure that their brands are in the evoked set of their target markets while going through the decision making process and the customer chooses their product. HRM Strategies Nestles mergers and acquisitions provides the business with a wider selection of employees which can be used strategically to further develop the companys competitive advantage. However, this method may not be feasible as employees may feel their opinions to be underappreciated and lack participation with front line decisions. In the case of Weetabix, their use of motivational goals drives their use of HRM, which furthers their competitive advantage by providing a recognised and admirable work environment, which could be then used strategically to attract additional talented candidates. In comparison to its competitors, Flavaghans is a considerably smaller company, mainly because of its family ethos. These sorts of companies generally limit new additions of staffing in order to reduce costs. However with the utilisation of their flat hierarchy which enables all departments to work together closely, this allows for a competitive advantage, which does not directly affect necessary recruitment and selection. In a sense Flavaghans has used their limit of recruiting for a more quality staffing experience which then follows through to competitive advantage. Odlums have used their HRM strategies competitively in order to gain talented managerial staff in the company. This can be seen in their quality staff members, who have all had quality previous employment and education. This is a clear competitive advantage for odlums, and has formed them as an elite group of staff. Kelloggs, although they use extensive research and development which effectively provides solid results and provides a clear competitive advantage. It has been recognised that although management positions are favourable, their staff motivation and drives are low, therefore we can indicate that HRM strategies are not of concern to Kelloggs.  · Are the Strategic HRM policies of the key players in alignment with its overall strategy? In essence Nestles vision of good food, good life is very much in alligment with its strategic HRM policies. Through the use of mergers and acquistions, Nestle has managed to collect different types of talent, in order to provide quality behind its overall strategy of good life, good food in its product. External Environmental Analysis Strategic Group Mapping Model Strategic Group Mapping Analysis Nestle is identified with having a high variety of products coupled with a high average price of à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬3.53per 500g Kelloggs is on par with Nestle however Kelloggs have a larger variety of products and slightly higher average price of à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ 3.54per 500g. Both breakfast cereal companies are positioned as having a large variety of products with a high retail price targeting the same market segments. Kelloggs target families with products such as cornflakes, rice crispies , frosties , all bran, crunchy nut and coco pops as well as the health conscious adult woman with their special k range  [7]  . Nestle target families with products such as nestle cornflakes, cheerios. Target kids and teens with nesquick, cookie crisp,cocoa puffs products and their adult with their fitness range.  [8]   Weetabix is more differentiated from Nestle and Kelloggs. Weetabix primarily targets the health conscience consumer market segment whereas Nestle and Kelloggs target a proportion of that segment. Weetabix is identified with having a low variety of products combined with a high average price à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬3.49per 500g. Weetabix is a market leader with a 12% market share  [9]  (just behind Kellogg which leads brand sales with a 42% value share)  [10]   Flahavans is a market leader in the hot breakfast market segment with a 65% share of the hot breakfast cereal market  [11]  and a 7 % share of the overall breakfast market  [12]  .they have undertaken a hybrid strategy since 2008 by extending their product range and making their product more convenient to the consumer i.e quick oats. flahavans is identified with having a low variety of products (i.e hot oats) coupled with a low average price à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬1.25 per 500g.flahavans solely targets the health conscience individual/families. Odlums holds a relatively small proportion of the hot breakfast cereal market and is identified with having a low variety of products combined with a low average price of à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬1.15 per 500g. Kelloggs and Nestle are the most expensive of the companies, their higher price is justified by their larger variety of product offered. Weetabix, Flahavans and Odlums are the least expensive of the companies with is due to their low product range however their prices may increase in the further due to the perceived customer benefits of their products. Internal Strategic Capability Analysis Kelloggs Company Background The Kelloggs Company was established in 1906 by W.K. Kellogg. By continuing to use the same technique in producing the product since this time, the Kelloggs brand has grown successfully over the last 100 years with products reaching 180 countries worldwide. Kelloggs primarily produce breakfast cereal products, along with toaster pastries and snacks, such as, cereal bars and winders. In 1922, the Kelloggs company arrived in Ireland with products being sold throughout the country. As Kelloggs now is the leading brand in the breakfast cereal industry in Ireland and the UK, the business was one of the first to introduce nutritional labelling on their packaging, back in the 1930s. With their successful launch in the 1950s of the cereal products Frosties and Special K, in the 1980s new products, such as Crunchy Nut Corn Flakes, was launched into the Irish market. The W.K. Kellogg Institute for Food and Nutrition Research was opened in 1997. This is where the engineers, nutritionists and food scientists would investigate the quality of the produce used. This facility also catered for the alternation in the reduction of salt used in breakfast cereals in 2010, along with vitamin D been added for children in 2011. The Kelloggs Company have various locations worldwide including North America, Europe Middle East, Asia, Africa, Oceania and Latin South America. The Headquarters for Kelloggs is located in Michigan. Kelloggs Cultural Web Model Kelloggs Ansoff Product / Market Growth Matrix Market Penetration By utilising this strategy, this would benefit Kelloggs in terms of continuing to remain competitive within the market and stabilising their position as a market leader within Ireland and UK. Over the years Kelloggs have dramatically increased their product range to cater for a wider customer base. Kelloggs provides cereals for children and adults to accommodate for their different lifestyle requirements. By continuing to penetration this market at a relatively low risk for the business, Kelloggs would need to implement a strategy in order to maintain their market share by using their existing products while retaining their current customers. This strategy would need to be developed by increasing brand awareness of their products, for example charity events or competitions, in order to remind customer their products. Product re-launch could be another penetration for Kelloggs in terms of retaining their existing customers. Through customer involvement and push marketing strategies, these methods could help Kelloggs to secure their market share or have the possibility of increasing their customer base. New Products and Services As the cereal industry is a competitive market and developing the ability to be distinctive from the existing competitors could be a challenge for Kelloggs. In order to increase the customer base, Kelloggs developed products in the areas if toaster pastries and snacks. These developments allowed the business to explore new products while retaining their existing customers. Market development Market development is an important aspect for Kelloggs to grow within the cereal market. Currently Kelloggs offer a porridge product which is available in South Africa however are not obtainable within Ireland and the UK. Gluten free products from the US are also not available within these countries. These products could have a dramatic effect if Kelloggs introduced these products into the Irish and UK market, as it could heighten the competition amongst competitors and attract new customers to their products. Conglomerate Diversification In order for Kelloggs to diversify into an unrelated market would be a difficult challenge for the business. A market that Kelloggs have diversified into is the snack food market. This is evident from the acquisition of Pringles in early 2012. This market could be seen to be difficult to operate as it does not relate to the cereal industry and the business may not have the necessary knowledge of the snack food industry. Nestle Nestle Company Background Nestle was founded in 1866. As the company began to grow, it merged with another established company, Anglo-Swiss Condensed Milk Company in 1905. From this merger, Nestle acquired Rowntrees of York in 1988. Within Ireland and UK, Nestle is one of the key players in the food industry with 19 locations employing over 7000 staff. Nestle is also one of the key exporters for these two countries, with exporting products over  £300 million worth to 50 countries worldwide every year. With the mergers and acquisitions previously mentioned, this gave Nestle the ability to diversify their product portfolio to cater to a wider target audience. Nestle Ireland and UK expanded to sister companies such as Nestle Professional, Nestle Waters, Nestle Nutrition, Nestle Purina Petcare, Lactalis Nestle Chilled Dairy Company Ltd, Cereal Partners UK, Nespresso and Jenny Craig. With these sister companies, Nestle was able to produce popular brands such as, breakfast cereals Shreddies and Cheerios, Go Cat pet food, Nescafe, Kit Kat and beverages Nestle water and Nesquik. Nestle have Headquarters in Ireland and UK, with their factories primarily in the UK. Globally, Nestle are located in Africa, Oceania, Europe, and Asia and North and South America. Nestle Cultural Web Model Nestle Cultural Web Analysis Paradigm Nestles ethos Good food, good life is a clear indicator of where nestles drive originates. This can be clearly defined as Nestles collective experience which is applied to situations in order to make sense of strategy. For example nestles acquisition of Alcon Laboratories Inc. provided an increase of food technology competencies behind their foods thus confirming their initial ethos of good food, good life. Stories: Nestlà ©s is regarded as the largest food business company in the world; this has been experienced through the use of mergers and acquisitions and primary food nutrition values. Nestle acquired Crosse Blackwell in 1950 and Rowntree Mackintosh in 1988 to name a few. It operates in 86 countries and is the largest shareholder of LOreal. It has also been ranked at 1 in the fortune global 500. However, Nestle cereals received bad press in 2011, with the accusations of incorrect nutritional information on their cereal products. This apposed their believes of nutritional value in good food. Symbols: Nestle is a Swiss made multinational country which strives in power and direction. It is a professional company, which has used mergers and acquisitions to its advantage in its early years and continues in this fashion today. Nestle receives great admiration publicly. Power: Nestles power structure is very hierarchical, many field employees feel like progression is limited and not balanced for all employees. However when we consider their previous paths to this power (mergers and acquisitions) we can interpret their power drive as continuous and dedicated. Also another interesting fact is that Nestle is primarily a Male dominated organisation, which creates the concerns of the glass ceiling effect for women, which can be regarded as discouraging and an imbalance on gender equality. Organisational structure: Nestles Organisational structure is revolved around innovation and expansion. Innovation through their ethos of good food, good life, this can also be seen in their portfolio of innovating products such as baby formula and instant coffee. Their constant collaboration makes their company quiet segmented, however this approach has proven to be successful. In addition to this organisational structure, employees felt that quick decision making is not a competency of Nestles senior managers. This could potentially bring up the issue of potential lose in employee involvement, which can in most circumstances be valuable. Control systems: Nestle offer attractive pension plans in order to control employee systems. This is a lot more attractive for long term employees who are in the office. However, a majority of employees expressed that there is no work life balance plans to keep employees motivated and balanced in home and work activities. In contrast to their attractive pension plans, it can be assumed that Nestle is clearly monitory focused with employees. In addition we found that Nestle do not micro manage their employees, although this is more enjoyable for the employee, it can be interpreted that nestle need to grasp control systems in order to keep employee focus in activities. Routines Rituals: On a day to day basis, Nestle offer flexible working schedules for their staff. This communicates a laid back working environment, however due such hierarchical stances, strategy and direction is driven from headquarters. This tells us that on field employees are not driven on performance, as that type of belief is left to the senior managers in the company. It can be widely assumed of how advantageous it is for all employees to have access to Nestlà ©s international training centre in Switzerland. This can be seen as a prestigious opportunity for all Nestles employees to excel in. Creating Shared Value and meeting our commitments is Nestlà ©s view on expansion into different countries and reaching further customer segments globally. Nestle Ansoff Product / Market Growth Matrix Market Penetration: Like all cereal brands, Nestle is no different in wanting to expand further within markets such as the UK and Ireland. In order to do this they face a major obstacle in that they are the second largest behind Kelloggs who have a 45% market share of the breakfast cereal market. However, as revealed late last year, the company is looking to expand its brand further within the region of Northern Ireland and in order to help achieve its objectives they have enlisted the services of GM marketing to help expand the brand through the use of online technologies and refined marketing strategies. The first phase within the marketing strategy will see the core brands used to help identify the Nestle brand as well as using pre priced cereal boxes which may be cheaper or the same price as their competitors. Even though this is a low risk strategy the level of success of such a strategy can also be miniscule. If this strategy vastly increases the market share of Nestle it will have an impact on the market share of their competitors but at the same time it may not increase the market share of Nestle sufficiently to have a major impact on their competitors. It may take a considerable amount of time and may cause an impact within other areas that Nestle focus time and resources on. This strategy should be taken with a prudent approach in mind so as not to harm other categories that Nestle positions its brand. New Product Services: Research and development is an integral part within the Nestle company as they look to introduce product development within all of the categories that it positions its brand. This is clearly evident within the company as they employ 4,500 people globally within its RD departments as well as using external research provided by scientists, doctors who work within world renowned universities. This aspect of building bridges externally allows the company to further innovate within the area such of nutritional and healthy foods as well as numerous other categories. A core belief that exists within the Nestle group is to think global act local. When looking for new ways in which to introduce new products within existing markets they place the customer at the core of the product. This is recognisable in the way that they cater to various customer groups with breakfast cereal brands such as Nestle Multi Grain Cheerios focusing on all members of the family, Nesquik for teenagers and children and Nestle Fitness for people who place a high importance on keeping in shape. Nutrition is a vital element within the Nestle core beliefs and values but they also put a lot of effort into ensuring that good quality taste is never sacrificed in the cereals that they provide. Product development is a strategy that Nestle have continuously looked to improve upon since it identified that nutrition, health and wellness was to be the core strategy that it developed its products upon. Although it is a costly strategy the financial benefits on a global scale seem to outweigh the costs for Nestle. Market Development: Organisations would ideally like to operate as if the world were one large market, ignoring superficial regional and national differences but still making sure that marketing activities fit to the practices and cultural characteristics of genuinely different markets (Lee and Carter, 2008) The Nestle brand is recognised on a global scale and has a vast portfolio as it does not primarily focus on cereals which can be identified due to its large divergence into similar but also unrelated areas such as baby food, chocolate bars, beverages and many other various categories. However, they do not focus each of these categories on a global scale as not all of their products would be successful within each of the segmented markets. Even though each of the categories are not launched on a global scale it does not mean that they would not be successful within different markets as alterations could be made in relation to; How the product is packaged and designed The type of market